Freedom Summary and Line by Line Explanation
CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Non Fiction Chapter 1 – Freedom Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from Kaleidoscope Book
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CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Non Fiction Chapter 1- Freedom
George Bernard Shaw
In George Bernard Shaw’s essay “Freedom,” the author discusses the idea of freedom. He argues that true freedom does not mean having no limits. Instead, it is about understanding and accepting the natural limits of life. He also highlights the importance of asserting oneself and seeking a purpose in life. Krishnamurthi’s essay ‘Understanding Freedom and Discipline’ explores the theme of freedom, which is not at the end of discipline, but the understanding of freedom is its own discipline. The two go together inseparably: when you separate them there is conflict. To overcome that conflict, the action of will comes into being and breeds more conflict. This is an endless chain.
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Freedom Summary
Freedom by George Bernard Shaw
The text discusses George Bernard Shaw’s perspective on freedom and human servitude. Shaw argues that the idea of a perfectly free individual is a myth, as all humans are bound by necessities such as sleep, food, clothing, and work. He posits that both monarchs and common individuals experience servitude to these basic needs, with women facing additional burdens through childbirth, which he refers to as “heavy slavery.”
Shaw differentiates between “natural jobs,” which are unavoidable responsibilities assigned by nature, and other responsibilities that can be neglected. He warns against the dangers of allowing individuals or groups to gain control, leading to increased personal servitude disguised as freedom. He criticizes governments for exploiting citizens under the guise of freedom while regulating their servitude.
Specifically, Shaw critiques the right to vote as a mere illusion of freedom, as it does not truly alleviate the burden of work. He highlights the difference between natural servitude to nature, which provides enjoyment and fulfillment, and artificial servitude to each other, which is often based on exploitation and manipulation.
The illusion of freedom provided by governments, highlighting how they exploit individuals through both chattel and wage slavery. Shaw argues that while people are led to believe they have control through voting and elections, these systems do not actually lessen their burdens or provide true freedom. He distinguishes between the natural servitude to Nature, which is often pleasurable, and the artificial servitude to one another, which is inherently wrong. Shaw references thinkers like Marx and Thomas More, noting the ongoing class struggle and the need for a society where individuals work for themselves. He emphasizes how ruling classes conceal oppression through educational and political institutions, leading individuals to believe their hardships are self-inflicted, despite having a vote. True freedom can never be achieved under existing structures.
The ruling class uses institutions like parliaments, schools, and newspapers to obscure the oppression of the working class, promoting the idea that freedom is inherent to their society. Historical milestones, such as the signing of the Magna Carta and key battles, are often highlighted as victories for freedom, yet the hardships of the working class are downplayed by suggesting that they are responsible for their own struggles, thanks to their ability to vote. Critics of this system, including famous authors and revolutionaries, are often labeled as immoral or criminal, and their ideas are suppressed. The upper class, educated to believe in their superiority, is also misled by distorted history and economics. While workers see the harsh realities of their situation and may look for strong leadership, their participation in elections often yields little true freedom. Shaw refrains from drawing conclusions to avoid controversy, emphasizing that convincing leadership often relies on the ignorance and admiration of the people. Ultimately, a small number of voters from the working class support candidates from their own background, demonstrating the disconnect between leaders and the ordinary populace.
Shaw’s approach to communication focus on facts about nature and history while avoiding controversial conclusions to prevent arguments. He emphasizes that true leadership requires a degree of superiority and wealth to maintain order and obedience among the populace. Shaw critiques the political behavior of ordinary voters, noting their propensity to favor wealthy candidates and suggesting that education and propaganda influence societal values and perceptions of wealth.
He raises concerns about income distribution based on industrial advancements and the potential for machines to create wealth, while also cautioning about the environmental effects of overusing chemicals in agriculture. Shaw argues that true freedom is constrained by societal obligations, laws, and personal pressures from landlords and employers, highlighting the limited recourse workers have, such as striking, to improve their circumstances. He presents the general strike as a potential extreme measure that could lead to detrimental consequences for society.
The nature of freedom in society emphasizes that individuals must fulfill certain obligations dictated by Nature and laws, which restrict their ability to act freely. It highlights the significant control exerted by landlords and employers, often surpassing that of political authorities, leaving workers with limited recourse, such as striking. The concept of a general strike is criticized as ultimately detrimental. Shaw argues that people have limited leisure time after work, and even that can be compromised by fatigue and obligations. He suggests that the average person lacks a true understanding of freedom and advocates for a focus on leisure and fair compensation for work, warning against supporting political candidates who claim to champion freedom without accountability. Lastly, Shaw expresses concern about what people would do with increased leisure and wealth, noting the potential for negative consequences.
The implications of workers gaining more leisure time and money than they are used to. Shaw raises concerns about how people will use this newfound leisure, as he believes idle hands can lead to negative outcomes. He reflects on the potential dangers of sudden wealth, comparing it to a harmful poison. Shaw poses a thought-provoking question for individuals to consider: whether they would prefer to work eight hours a day and retire with a pension at forty-five or work four hours a day until seventy. He encourages them to discuss their thoughts on this with their spouses rather than sending answers to him.
Understanding Freedom and Discipline by Jiddu Krishnamurti
The text discusses the complex relationship between discipline and freedom, highlighting that many believe discipline leads to freedom, but true freedom requires the ability to think and explore independently. It emphasizes the constraints imposed by traditions, societal norms, and external influences, arguing that these can stifle intelligence and self-discovery. The author Krishnamurti, suggests that individuals must dismantle these barriers to genuinely understand their own desires and paths in life. The importance of nurturing freedom from a young age is stressed, as failing to do so can result in inner conflict and a lack of authenticity. Additionally, the text urges readers to cultivate compassion for those less fortunate, questioning whether they are too absorbed in their own struggles to recognize social inequalities. Overall, intelligence and clarity arise from questioning tradition and pursuing genuine self-discovery.
Intelligence requires individuals to break away from conventional norms and pursue their own paths; however, they are often constrained by their parents’ beliefs and societal traditions. This creates an internal conflict. Although they are young, they are capable of recognizing this struggle. As a result, they experience inner turmoil. As long as they fail to resolve this conflict, they will remain trapped in a cycle of struggle, pain, and sorrow—constantly desiring to take action but being held back. If they examine their situation closely, they may realize that discipline and freedom are opposing concepts. In the pursuit of genuine freedom, a different process begins, leading to personal clarity that ultimately influences their actions.
During their youth, individuals must have the freedom to explore and receive guidance to uncover what they truly wish to pursue in life. If this discovery does not occur while they are young, they may never find it, and they will struggle to become free and content individuals. The groundwork must be laid now so they can begin taking initiative.
On their journeys, have they noticed villagers struggling with heavy burdens? Those unfortunate women, dressed in tattered and dirty clothing, barely having enough to eat, labour tirelessly each day for meagre wages. Krishnamurti questions whether they feel any compassion for these women or if they are too preoccupied with themselves; worrying about exams, appearance, and saris, to notice them. He further questions whether they view themselves as superior, feeling a sense of entitlement due to their social status, leading them to disregard these villagers; or if they truly desire to assist them, which reflects a particular mindset.
Krishnamurti wonders if they are numb from generations of tradition and parental influence, so aware of their social standing that they do not even acknowledge the villagers, or if they are simply oblivious to their surroundings. It is the fear of their parents’ reactions, teachers’ judgments, tradition, or life itself that gradually dulls their sensitivity.
To be sensitive means to feel deeply, absorb experiences, empathize with those in pain, express affection, and be aware of the events occurring around them. When the temple bell tolls, do they listen closely to its sound. Krishnamurti wonders whether they ever noticed sunlight reflecting on the water or if they are aware of the villagers who have been oppressed and marginalized for centuries by those in power.
All of this suggests a need for sensitivity. However, sensitivity is compromised when one is overly strict with oneself, fearful, or self-involved. Constantly worrying about one’s appearance, such as clothing, and focusing too much on oneself leads to insensitivity, confining the mind and heart and diminishing the ability to appreciate beauty. True freedom requires a deep sense of sensitivity. If individuals are trapped by self-interest or confined by strict rules, they cannot experience true freedom. When their lives revolve around imitation, sensitivity and freedom cannot coexist. It is crucial, while they are here, to plant the seed of freedom, which is to awaken their intelligence; with that intelligence, they can address all of life’s challenges.
Summary of the Lesson Freedom in Hindi
जॉर्ज बर्नार्ड शॉ द्वारा स्वतंत्रता
पाठ में स्वतंत्रता और मानव दासता पर जॉर्ज बर्नार्ड शॉ के दृष्टिकोण पर चर्चा की गई है। शॉ का तर्क है कि एक पूरी तरह से स्वतंत्र व्यक्ति का विचार एक मिथक है, क्योंकि सभी मनुष्य नींद, भोजन, कपड़े और काम जैसी आवश्यकताओं से बंधे होते हैं। उनका मानना है कि सम्राट और आम व्यक्ति दोनों इन बुनियादी जरूरतों के लिए दासता का अनुभव करते हैं, महिलाओं को प्रसव के माध्यम से अतिरिक्त बोझ का सामना करना पड़ता है, जिसे वे “भारी गुलामी” के रूप में संदर्भित करते हैं।
शॉ “प्राकृतिक नौकरियों” के बीच अंतर करते हैं, जो प्रकृति द्वारा सौंपी गई अपरिहार्य जिम्मेदारियां हैं, और अन्य जिम्मेदारियां जिनकी उपेक्षा की जा सकती है। वह व्यक्तियों या समूहों को नियंत्रण हासिल करने की अनुमति देने के खतरों के खिलाफ चेतावनी देते हैं, जिससे स्वतंत्रता के रूप में व्यक्तिगत दासता में वृद्धि होती है। वह दासता को नियंत्रित करते हुए स्वतंत्रता की आड़ में नागरिकों का शोषण करने के लिए सरकारों की आलोचना करते हैं।
विशेष रूप से, शॉ मतदान के अधिकार की आलोचना केवल स्वतंत्रता के भ्रम के रूप में करते हैं, क्योंकि यह वास्तव में काम के बोझ को कम नहीं करता है। वह प्रकृति के प्रति प्राकृतिक दासता के बीच के अंतर पर प्रकाश डालते हैं, जो आनंद और पूर्ति प्रदान करता है, और एक दूसरे को कृत्रिम दासता प्रदान करता है, जो अक्सर शोषण और हेरफेर पर आधारित होता है।
सरकारों द्वारा प्रदान की गई स्वतंत्रता का भ्रम, इस बात पर प्रकाश डालता है कि वे कैसे संपत्ति और मजदूरी गुलामी दोनों के माध्यम से व्यक्तियों का शोषण करते हैं। शॉ का तर्क है कि जबकि लोगों को यह विश्वास दिलाया जाता है कि मतदान और चुनावों के माध्यम से उनका नियंत्रण है, ये प्रणालियाँ वास्तव में उनके बोझ को कम नहीं करती हैं या सच्ची स्वतंत्रता प्रदान नहीं करती हैं। वह प्रकृति के प्रति प्राकृतिक दासता, जो अक्सर सुखद होती है, और एक दूसरे के प्रति कृत्रिम दासता, जो स्वाभाविक रूप से गलत है, के बीच अंतर करते हैं। शॉ ने मार्क्स और थॉमस मोर जैसे विचारकों का संदर्भ देते हुए चल रहे वर्ग संघर्ष और एक ऐसे समाज की आवश्यकता पर ध्यान दिया जहां व्यक्ति अपने लिए काम करें। वह इस बात पर जोर देते हैं कि कैसे सत्तारूढ़ वर्ग शैक्षिक और राजनीतिक संस्थानों के माध्यम से उत्पीड़न को छिपाते हैं, जिससे लोग यह मानते हैं कि वोट होने के बावजूद उनकी कठिनाइयाँ स्वयं पैदा की गई हैं। पाठ से पता चलता है कि वास्तविक स्वतंत्रता कभी भी मौजूदा संरचनाओं के तहत प्राप्त नहीं की जाती है।
शासक वर्ग संसद, स्कूलों और समाचार पत्रों जैसे संस्थानों का उपयोग मजदूर वर्ग के उत्पीड़न को अस्पष्ट करने के लिए करता है, इस विचार को बढ़ावा देता है कि स्वतंत्रता उनके समाज में निहित है। ऐतिहासिक मील के पत्थर, जैसे कि मैग्ना कार्टा पर हस्ताक्षर और प्रमुख लड़ाइयों को अक्सर स्वतंत्रता की जीत के रूप में उजागर किया जाता है, फिर भी मजदूर वर्ग की कठिनाइयों को यह सुझाव देकर कम किया जाता है कि वे अपने स्वयं के संघर्षों के लिए जिम्मेदार हैं, उनकी वोट देने की क्षमता के लिए धन्यवाद। प्रसिद्ध लेखकों और क्रांतिकारियों सहित इस प्रणाली के आलोचकों को अक्सर अनैतिक या अपराधी के रूप में लेबल किया जाता है और उनके विचारों को दबा दिया जाता है। अपनी श्रेष्ठता में विश्वास करने के लिए शिक्षित उच्च वर्ग भी विकृत इतिहास और अर्थशास्त्र से गुमराह है। जबकि कार्यकर्ता अपनी स्थिति की कठोर वास्तविकताओं को देखते हैं और मजबूत नेतृत्व की तलाश कर सकते हैं, चुनावों में उनकी भागीदारी से अक्सर बहुत कम वास्तविक स्वतंत्रता मिलती है। शॉ विवाद से बचने के लिए निष्कर्ष निकालने से बचते हैं, इस बात पर जोर देते हुए कि विश्वसनीय नेतृत्व अक्सर लोगों की अज्ञानता और प्रशंसा पर निर्भर करता है। अंततः, मजदूर वर्ग के मतदाताओं की एक छोटी संख्या नेताओं और आम जनता के बीच अलगाव को प्रदर्शित करते हुए, अपनी पृष्ठभूमि के उम्मीदवारों का समर्थन करती है।
संवाद के लिए शॉ का दृष्टिकोण प्रकृति और इतिहास के बारे में तथ्यों पर ध्यान केंद्रित करता है जबकि तर्कों को रोकने के लिए विवादास्पद निष्कर्षों से बचता है। वे इस बात पर जोर देते हैं कि सच्चे नेतृत्व के लिए जनता के बीच व्यवस्था और आज्ञाकारिता बनाए रखने के लिए कुछ हद तक श्रेष्ठता और धन की आवश्यकता होती है। शॉ आम मतदाताओं के राजनीतिक व्यवहार की आलोचना करते हैं, अमीर उम्मीदवारों के पक्ष में उनकी प्रवृत्ति को देखते हुए और सुझाव देते हैं कि शिक्षा और प्रचार सामाजिक मूल्यों और धन की धारणाओं को प्रभावित करते हैं।
उन्होंने औद्योगिक प्रगति के आधार पर आय वितरण और मशीनों के लिए धन पैदा करने की क्षमता के बारे में चिंता जताई, साथ ही कृषि में रसायनों के अत्यधिक उपयोग के पर्यावरणीय प्रभावों के बारे में भी आगाह किया। शॉ का तर्क है कि सच्ची स्वतंत्रता सामाजिक दायित्वों, कानूनों और मकान मालिकों और नियोक्ताओं के व्यक्तिगत दबावों से बाधित होती है, जो श्रमिकों के पास अपनी परिस्थितियों को सुधारने के लिए हड़ताल करने जैसे सीमित साधनों पर प्रकाश डालती है। वह आम हड़ताल को एक संभावित चरम उपाय के रूप में प्रस्तुत करते हैं जो समाज के लिए हानिकारक परिणाम पैदा कर सकता है।
समाज में स्वतंत्रता की प्रकृति इस बात पर जोर देती है कि व्यक्तियों को प्रकृति और कानूनों द्वारा निर्धारित कुछ दायित्वों को पूरा करना चाहिए, जो स्वतंत्र रूप से कार्य करने की उनकी क्षमता को प्रतिबंधित करते हैं। यह जमींदारों और नियोक्ताओं द्वारा लगाए गए महत्वपूर्ण नियंत्रण पर प्रकाश डालता है, जो अक्सर राजनीतिक अधिकारियों से अधिक होता है, जिससे श्रमिकों के पास हड़ताल जैसे सीमित साधन रह जाते हैं। आम हड़ताल की अवधारणा की आलोचना अंततः हानिकारक के रूप में की जाती है। शॉ का तर्क है कि लोगों के पास काम के बाद खाली समय सीमित होता है, और यहां तक कि थकान और दायित्वों से भी समझौता किया जा सकता है। उनका सुझाव है कि औसत व्यक्ति में स्वतंत्रता की सच्ची समझ की कमी है और वह अवकाश और काम के लिए उचित मुआवजे पर ध्यान केंद्रित करने की वकालत करता है, उन राजनीतिक उम्मीदवारों का समर्थन करने के खिलाफ चेतावनी देता है जो जवाबदेही के बिना स्वतंत्रता का समर्थन करने का दावा करते हैं। अंत में, शॉ इस बारे में चिंता व्यक्त करते हैं कि लोग अधिक अवकाश और धन के साथ क्या करेंगे, नकारात्मक परिणामों की संभावना को ध्यान में रखते हुए।
श्रमिकों के उपयोग की तुलना में अधिक खाली समय और धन प्राप्त करने के निहितार्थ। शॉ इस बारे में चिंता व्यक्त करते हैं कि लोग इस नए अवकाश का उपयोग कैसे करेंगे, क्योंकि उनका मानना है कि बेकार हाथों से नकारात्मक परिणाम हो सकते हैं। वह अचानक धन के संभावित खतरों पर विचार करता है, इसकी तुलना एक हानिकारक जहर से करता है। शॉ व्यक्तियों के लिए विचार करने के लिए एक विचारोत्तेजक प्रश्न प्रस्तुत करते हैंः क्या वे दिन में आठ घंटे काम करना पसंद करेंगे और पैंतालीस पर पेंशन के साथ सेवानिवृत्त होंगे या सत्तर तक दिन में चार घंटे काम करेंगे। वह उन्हें जवाब भेजने के बजाय अपने जीवनसाथी के साथ इस पर अपने विचारों पर चर्चा करने के लिए प्रोत्साहित करता है।
स्वतंत्रता और अनुशासन को समझना-जिड्डु कृष्णमूर्ति
पाठ अनुशासन और स्वतंत्रता के बीच जटिल संबंधों पर चर्चा करता है, इस बात पर प्रकाश डालते हुए कि कई लोग मानते हैं कि अनुशासन स्वतंत्रता की ओर ले जाता है, लेकिन सच्ची स्वतंत्रता के लिए स्वतंत्र रूप से सोचने और तलाश करने की क्षमता की आवश्यकता होती है। यह परंपराओं, सामाजिक मानदंडों और बाहरी प्रभावों द्वारा लगाए गए प्रतिबंधों पर जोर देता है, यह तर्क देते हुए कि ये बुद्धि और आत्म-खोज को दबा सकते हैं। लेखक कृष्णमूर्ति का सुझाव है कि व्यक्तियों को जीवन में अपनी इच्छाओं और मार्गों को वास्तव में समझने के लिए इन बाधाओं को दूर करना चाहिए। कम उम्र से ही स्वतंत्रता को पोषित करने के महत्व पर जोर दिया जाता है, क्योंकि ऐसा करने में विफल रहने के परिणामस्वरूप आंतरिक संघर्ष और प्रामाणिकता की कमी हो सकती है। इसके अतिरिक्त, पाठ पाठकों से उन कम भाग्यशाली लोगों के लिए करुणा पैदा करने का आग्रह करता है, यह सवाल करते हुए कि क्या वे सामाजिक असमानताओं को पहचानने के लिए अपने स्वयं के संघर्षों में बहुत अधिक डूबे हुए हैं। कुल मिलाकर, बुद्धि और स्पष्टता परंपरा पर सवाल उठाने और वास्तविक आत्म-खोज का पीछा करने से उत्पन्न होती है।
बुद्धिमत्ता के लिए व्यक्तियों को पारंपरिक मानदंडों से अलग होने और अपने स्वयं के मार्गों का अनुसरण करने की आवश्यकता होती है; हालाँकि, वे अक्सर अपने माता-पिता की मान्यताओं और सामाजिक परंपराओं से विवश होते हैं। इससे आंतरिक कलह पैदा होती है। हालाँकि वे युवा हैं, वे इस संघर्ष को पहचानने में सक्षम हैं। नतीजतन, वे आंतरिक उथल-पुथल का अनुभव करते हैं। जब तक वे इस संघर्ष को हल करने में विफल रहते हैं, तब तक वे संघर्ष, दर्द और दुख के चक्र में फंसे रहेंगे-लगातार कार्रवाई करने की इच्छा रखते हैं लेकिन उन्हें रोका जा रहा है। यदि वे अपनी स्थिति की बारीकी से जांच करते हैं, तो उन्हें एहसास हो सकता है कि अनुशासन और स्वतंत्रता अवधारणाओं के विपरीत हैं। वास्तविक स्वतंत्रता की खोज में, एक अलग प्रक्रिया शुरू होती है, जिससे व्यक्तिगत स्पष्टता होती है जो अंततः उनके कार्यों को प्रभावित करती है।
इस दौरान अपनी युवावस्था में, व्यक्तियों को यह पता लगाने और मार्गदर्शन प्राप्त करने की स्वतंत्रता होनी चाहिए कि वे वास्तव में जीवन में क्या करना चाहते हैं। यदि यह खोज युवा अवस्था में नहीं होती है, तो हो सकता है कि उन्हें यह कभी न मिले, और वे स्वतंत्र और संतुष्ट व्यक्ति बनने के लिए संघर्ष करेंगे। अब आधार तैयार किया जाना चाहिए ताकि वे पहल करना शुरू कर सकें।
क्या उन्होंने अपनी यात्राओं के दौरान ग्रामीणों को भारी बोझ से जूझते हुए देखा है? वे दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण महिलाएं, फटे और गंदे कपड़ों में, मुश्किल से खाने के लिए पर्याप्त हैं, कम मजदूरी के लिए हर दिन अथक परिश्रम करती हैं। कृष्णमूर्ति सवाल करते हैं कि क्या वे इन महिलाओं के लिए कोई करुणा महसूस करते हैं या क्या वे खुद के साथ बहुत व्यस्त हैं; परीक्षा, उपस्थिति और साड़ियों के बारे में चिंता करते हुए, उन्हें नोटिस करने के लिए। वह आगे सवाल करता है कि क्या वे खुद को श्रेष्ठ मानते हैं, अपनी सामाजिक स्थिति के कारण अधिकार की भावना महसूस करते हैं, जिससे वे इन ग्रामीणों की उपेक्षा करते हैं; या क्या वे वास्तव में उनकी सहायता करना चाहते हैं, जो एक विशेष मानसिकता को दर्शाता है।
कृष्णमूर्ति को आश्चर्य होता है कि क्या वे परंपरा और माता-पिता के प्रभाव की पीढ़ियों से सुन्न हैं, अपनी सामाजिक स्थिति से इतने अवगत हैं कि वे ग्रामीणों को भी स्वीकार नहीं करते हैं, या क्या वे केवल अपने परिवेश से अनजान हैं। यह उनके माता-पिता की प्रतिक्रियाओं, शिक्षकों के निर्णयों, परंपरा या स्वयं जीवन का डर है जो धीरे-धीरे उनकी संवेदनशीलता को कम कर देता है।
संवेदनशील होने का अर्थ है गहराई से महसूस करना, अनुभवों को आत्मसात करना, दर्द में लोगों के साथ सहानुभूति रखना, स्नेह व्यक्त करना और उनके आसपास होने वाली घटनाओं के बारे में जागरूक होना। जब मंदिर की घंटी बजती है, तो क्या वे इसकी आवाज को ध्यान से सुनते हैं। कृष्णमूर्ति को आश्चर्य होता है कि क्या उन्होंने कभी पानी पर सूर्य के प्रकाश को प्रतिबिंबित होते देखा है या क्या वे उन ग्रामीणों के बारे में जानते हैं जो सदियों से सत्ता में रहने वालों द्वारा उत्पीड़ित और हाशिए पर हैं।
यह सब संवेदनशीलता की आवश्यकता का संकेत देता है। हालांकि, संवेदनशीलता से समझौता किया जाता है जब कोई अपने साथ अत्यधिक सख्त, भयभीत या आत्म-शामिल होता है। कपड़ों जैसे अपने रूप के बारे में लगातार चिंता करने और खुद पर बहुत अधिक ध्यान केंद्रित करने से असंवेदनशीलता आती है, मन और दिल को सीमित कर दिया जाता है और सुंदरता की सराहना करने की क्षमता कम हो जाती है। सच्ची स्वतंत्रता के लिए गहरी संवेदनशीलता की आवश्यकता होती है। यदि व्यक्ति स्वार्थ में फंस जाते हैं या सख्त नियमों द्वारा सीमित हो जाते हैं, तो वे सच्ची स्वतंत्रता का अनुभव नहीं कर सकते। जब उनका जीवन नकल के इर्द-गिर्द घूमता है, तो संवेदनशीलता और स्वतंत्रता एक साथ नहीं रह सकती है। यह महत्वपूर्ण है, जब वे यहां हैं, स्वतंत्रता का बीज बोने के लिए, जो उनकी बुद्धि को जागृत करने के लिए है; उस बुद्धि के साथ, वे जीवन की सभी चुनौतियों का सामना कर सकते हैं।
Themes of the Lesson Freedom
Freedom
G.B. Shaw’s essay ‘Freedom’ explores the importance of individuals making their own choices and living their lives without unnecessary interference. It highlights how this autonomy contributes to personal development and self-expression. Shaw argues for equal rights and opportunities for everyone in society, asserting that social freedom promotes fairness and justice, allowing individuals from all backgrounds to participate fully and equally. Additionally, the essay discusses the significance of political freedom, which is crucial for a democratic society. It enables people to engage in the political process, influence decisions, and hold leaders accountable.
Understanding Freedom and Discipline
For Krishnamurti, true freedom is not a goal that you reach through strict rules. Instead, it is a way of being that comes from a mind free of conditioning and self-imposed limits. In this view, discipline is about learning and understanding, not about control or suppression.
Freedom Lesson Explanation
Passage: What is a perfectly free person? Evidently a person who can do what he likes, when he likes, and where he likes, or do nothing at all if he prefers it. Well, there is no such person, and there never can be any such person. Whether we like it or not, we must all sleep for one third of our lifetime—wash and dress and undress—we must spend a couple of hours eating and drinking—we must spend nearly as much in getting about from place to place. For half the day we are slaves to necessities which we cannot shirk, whether we are monarchs with a thousand slaves or humble labourers with no servants but their wives. And the wives must undertake the additional heavy slavery of childbearing, if the world is still to be peopled.
Word meanings
necessities: an indispensable thing
shirk: avoid or neglect (a duty or responsibility).
peopled: fill (a place) with inhabitants.
Explanation of the above passage— Shaw questions what it means to be a perfectly free individual. Clearly, it refers to someone who can act as they wish, at any time and in any place, or simply choose to do nothing at all if that is their preference. However, such an individual does not exist, nor will they ever. Regardless of people’s desires, they all have to sleep for eight out of twenty four hours. They need to wash, dress, and undress. They must allocate a few hours to eating and drinking. They spend nearly as much time travelling from one location to another. For half of each day, they are bound by necessities they cannot avoid, whether they are kings with many servants or simply a common man with no help other than their partners. Furthermore, their partners bear the additional burden of childbirth if the population is to be sustained. According to G.B.Shaw, freedom is a superficial concept, as in reality, no human being is free. Humans are ‘slaves to necessities’ whether they be monarchs or common men. The reference to common men as ‘humble labourers’ means their status is lower in comparison to that of monarchs and respectful towards work. Their wife’s responsibility is doubled with childbearing which Shaw refers to as ‘heavy slavery’.
Passage: These natural jobs cannot be shirked. But they involve other jobs which can. As we must eat we must first provide food; as we must sleep, we must have beds, and bedding in houses with fireplaces and coals; as we must walk through the streets, we must have clothes to cover our nakedness. Now, food and houses and clothes can be produced by human labour. But when they are produced they can be stolen. If you like honey you can let the bees produce it by their labour, and then steal it from them. If you are too lazy to get about from place to place on your own legs you can make a slave of a horse. And what you do to a horse or a bee, you can also do to a man or woman or a child, if you can get the upper hand of them by force or fraud or trickery of any sort, or even by teaching them that it is their religious duty to sacrifice their freedom to yours.
Word meanings
shirked: avoid or neglect (a duty or responsibility).
bedding: bedclothes
trickery: the practice of deception.
Explanation of the above passage—According to G.B. Shaw, while some jobs assigned by nature cannot be ignored, others can be neglected. The term “natural jobs” refers to responsibilities that nature has given to humans, such as childbirth for women. Humans need to have food to eat, bed and bedding to sleep near the coal or fireplace, and clothes to cover our body when walking through the streets. Humans require basic necessities like food, shelter, sleep, and clothing to survive in society. However, to obtain these essentials like food, homes, and clothing, humans must engage in work. If humans can labour for these necessities, they are also susceptible to theft of their labour. For example, if someone enjoys honey, they can rely on bees to produce it through their efforts and then steal it from them. Similarly, if someone is too lazy to walk from one place to another, they might choose to enslave a horse. What one could do to a horse or a bee, could also be done to a person, whether man, woman, or child. One person can gain power over the other through force, deceit, or manipulation, or even by convincing the other person that it is their religious duty to sacrifice their freedom for them.
Passage: So beware! If you allow any person, or class of persons, to get the upper hand of you, he will shift all that part of his slavery to Nature that can be shifted on to your shoulders; and you will find yourself working from eight to fourteen hours a day when, if you had only yourself and your family to provide for, you could do it quite comfortably in half the time or less. The object of all honest governments should be to prevent your being imposed on in this way. But the object of most actual governments, I regret to say, is exactly the opposite. They enforce your slavery and call it freedom. But they also regulate your slavery, keeping the greed of your masters within certain bounds. When chattel slavery of the negro sort costs more than wage slavery, they abolish chattel slavery and make you free to choose between one employment or one master and another and this they call a glorious triumph for freedom, though for you it is merely the key of the street. When you complain, they promise that in future you shall govern the country for yourself. They redeem this promise by giving you a vote, and having a general election every five years or so.
Word meanings
beware: be cautious and alert to risks or dangers.
have the upper hand: have the advantage over someone or something.
regulate: control (something, especially a business activity) by means of rules and regulations.
Chattel slavery of the negro: the historical practice of treating enslaved people, particularly those of African descent, as property, with owners having complete control over their lives, labor, and offspring.
Wage slavery: a situation where individuals are dependent on wages or salaries for their livelihood, often with limited opportunities for advancement, and where their wages barely cover their basic needs, leaving them feeling trapped and unable to escape their financial circumstances.
triumph: victory
Explanation of the above passage—Shaw told people to be cautious of such selfish people. If they permit any individual or group of individuals to gain control over them, these individuals will transfer as much of their burden of servitude to Nature onto them as possible; and they will discover that they are toiling for eight to fourteen hours a day when, if their only responsibility was to themselves and their family, they could manage it quite comfortably in half the time or even less. The aim of all sincere governments should be to prevent such imposition on the people. Unfortunately, the goal of most existing governments is quite the opposite. The government imposes people’s servitude while calling it freedom. However, they do regulate people’s servitude, keeping the greed of their superiors within certain limits. When the cost of chattel slavery (ownership of one person as a slave by masters), like that experienced by African Americans, exceeds that of wage slavery (the conditions of workers who feel trapped in their jobs due to economic necessity, often lacking the freedom to quit or choose better options), they abolish chattel slavery and grant them the freedom to choose between different jobs or bosses, which they label a significant victory for freedom, though for the people it is simply the key to the street. Here, G.B. Shaw critiques the government for their exploitation of people under the slavery system, as there is no freedom to choose but an illusion of freedom created by them for the people. When they voice their concerns, they assure them that in the future, they will govern the country themselves. They fulfill this promise by giving them a right to vote and holding a general election every five years or so.
Passage: At the election two of their rich friends ask for your vote and you are free to choose which of them you will vote for to spite the other—a choice which leaves you no freer than you were before, as it does not reduce your hours of labour by a single minute. But the newspapers assure you that your vote has decided the election, and that this constitutes you a free citizen in a democratic country. The amazing thing about it is that you are fool enough to believe them.
Word meanings
spite: to offend someone
constitute: be (a part) of a whole.
democratic: a system of government in which power is held by elected representatives who are freely voted for by the people, or held directly by the people themselves.
Explanation of the above passage— Shaw critiques the right to vote given by the government as just another illusion of freedom but not freedom. During the election, two wealthy acquaintances seek people’s support, and they can freely decide which one to favour to annoy the other; a decision that doesn’t free them at all, as it doesn’t lessen their working hours by even a minute. However, the newspapers claim that their vote has determined the outcome of the election, and that makes them a free citizen in a democratic nation. The astonishing part is that they are easily tricked into believing them.
Passage: Now mark another big difference between the natural slavery of man to Nature and the unnatural slavery of man to man. Nature is kind to her slaves. If she forces you to eat and drink, she makes eating and drinking so pleasant that when we can afford it we eat and drink too much. We must sleep or go mad: but then sleep is so pleasant that we have great difficulty in getting up in the morning. And firesides and families seem so pleasant to the young that they get married and join building societies to realise their dreams. Thus, instead of resenting our natural wants as slavery, we take the greatest pleasure in their satisfaction. We write sentimental songs in praise of them. A tramp can earn his supper by singing Home, Sweet Home.
Word meanings
building societies: a business that lends you money if you want to buy a house, or pays you interest on money you invest there
resenting: dislike
supper: dinner
Explanation of the above passage— Shaw now highlights another significant distinction between the natural servitude of humans to Nature and the artificial servitude of humans to each other. Nature treats its dependents kindly. While it compels them to eat and drink, it also ensures that these activities are so enjoyable that, when they have the means, they often indulge excessively. They must sleep or risk going insane, yet sleep is so delightful that they struggle to rise in the morning. Cosy homes and families appear so appealing to the young that they marry and join a business that lends them money if they want to buy a house to make their dreams a reality. Therefore, rather than resenting their inherent needs as servitude, they find immense joy in fulfilling them. They compose sentimental songs celebrating them. A homeless person can earn their meal by performing the song “Home, Sweet Home.”
Passage: The slavery of man to man is the very opposite of this. It is hateful to the body and to the spirit. Our poets do not praise it: they proclaim that no man is good enough to be another man’s master. The latest of the great Jewish prophets, a gentleman named Marx, spent his life in proving that there is no extremity of selfish cruelty at which the slavery of man to man will stop if it be not stopped by law. You can see for yourself that it produces a state of continual civil war—called the class war—between the slaves and their masters, organised as Trade Unions on one side and Employers’ Federations on the other. Saint Thomas More, who has just been canonized, held that we shall never have a peaceful and stable society until this struggle is ended by the abolition of slavery altogether, and the compulsion of everyone to do his share of the world’s work with his own hands and brains, and not to attempt to put it on anyone else.
Word meanings
prophet: a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God.
trade Unions: an organized association of workers in a trade, group of trades, or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests.
Employers’ Federations: a collective organization of employers, often from the same sector, that aims to represent and promote the interests of its member companies, including negotiating with trade unions and advocating for their interests with government bodies.
canonized: (in the Roman Catholic Church) officially declare (a dead person) to be a saint.
abolition: the act of ending an activity or custom officially
compulsion: obligation
Explanation of the above passage— The idea of one person controlling another is unacceptable. It is wrong both physically and spiritually. The poets do not celebrate it; instead, they say that no one is that good that he or she can be a master over another. A recent Jewish thinker, Marx, showed that the cruelty of one person enslaving another can reach terrible limits if laws don’t stop it. This leads to constant conflict, known as the class struggle, between the oppressed and their oppressors, with Trade Unions (an organized association of workers in a trade, group of trades, or profession, formed to protect them and their rights and interests) on one side and Employers’ Federations (a collective of employers, usually from the same sector or industry, that unites to represent and advocate for the interests of its member companies) on the other. Saint Thomas More, who was recently made a saint, believed that people cannot have a peaceful society until they end slavery and ensure everyone works with their own hands and minds instead of making others do it for them.
Passage: Naturally the master class, through its parliaments and schools and newspapers, makes the most desperate efforts to prevent us from realising our slavery. From our earliest years we are taught that our country is the land of the free, and that our freedom was won for us by our forefathers when they made King John sign Magna Charta (also spelt Carta)—when they defeated the Spanish Armada—when they cut off King Charles’s head—when they made King William accept the Bill of Rights—when they issued and made good the American Declaration of Independence—when they won the battles of Waterloo and Trafalgar on the playing-fields of Eton—and when, only the other day, they quite unintentionally changed the German, Austrian, Russian, and Ottoman empires into republics.
Word meanings
republic: a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.
Explanation of the above passage—The ruling class tries hard to keep people from seeing their oppression through institutions like parliaments, schools, and newspapers. From a young age, people are taught that their country is a place of freedom and that this freedom was won by our ancestors. Shaw remembers key moments of gaining freedom, such as when King John signed the Magna Carta, defeated the Spanish Armada, beheaded King Charles, forced King William to accept the Bill of Rights, declared and supported the American Declaration of Independence, and achieved victories at Waterloo and Trafalgar on the playing fields of Eton. Recently, they unknowingly also helped turn the German, Austrian, Russian, and Ottoman empires into republics.
Passage: When we grumble, we are told that all our miseries are our own doing because we have the vote. When we say ‘What good is the vote?’ we are told that we have the Factory Acts, and the Wages Boards, and free education, and the New Deal, and the dole; and what more could any reasonable man ask for? We are reminded that the rich are taxed a quarter—a third—or even a half and more of their incomes; but the poor are never reminded that they have to pay that much of their wages as rent in addition to having to work twice as long every day as they would need if they were free.
Word meanings
grumble: complain about something in a bad-tempered way.
dole: benefit paid by the state to the unemployed.
Explanation of the above passage—When they complain, they are told that all their hardships are their own fault because they possess the right to vote. When they question the point of the vote. They are answered that they benefit from the Factory Acts (law regulating labor in factories, ensuring the safety, health, and welfare of workers, and setting guidelines on working hours, employment conditions, and workplace safety standards), the Wages Boards (law, that represents employers, labor, and independent members to determine or revise wages and working conditions within a specific industry or sector), free education, the New Deal (a series of programs launched by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to solve the problems caused by the Great Depression), and benefits paid by the state to the unemployed, and what else could any sensible person desire. They are reminded that the wealthy face taxes of a quarter, a third, or even half or more of their earnings; however, the poor are rarely reminded that they also have to allocate that same proportion of their wages to give on top of working twice as long each day as they would if they were truly free.
Passage: Whenever famous writers protest against this imposture—say Voltaire and Rousseau and Tom Paine in the eighteenth century, or Cobbett and Shelley, Karl Marx and Lassalle in the nineteenth, or Lenin and Trotsky in the twentieth—you are taught that they are atheists and libertines, murderers and scoundrels, and often it is made a criminal offence to buy or sell their books. If their disciples make a revolution, England immediately makes war on them and lends money to the other Powers to join her in forcing the revolutionists restore the slave order. When this combination was successful at Waterloo, the victory was advertised as another triumph for British freedom; and the British wage-slaves, instead of going into mourning like Lord Byron, believed it all and cheered enthusiastically. When the revolution wins, as it did in Russia in 1922, the fighting stops; but the abuse, the calumnies, the lies continue until the revolutionised State grows into a firstrate military power. Then our diplomatists, after having for years denounced the revolutionary leaders as the most abominable villains and tyrants, have to do a right turn and invite them to dinner.
Word meanings
imposture: an instance of pretending to be someone else in order to deceive others
atheists: a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods.
libertine: a person, especially a man, who freely indulges in sensual pleasures without regard to moral
scoundrel: a dishonest or unscrupulous person; a rogue.
mourning: sorrow for someone’s death
calumnies: the making of false and defamatory statements about someone in order to damage their reputation; slander.
firstrate: of the best or highest quality, excellent, or superior.
denounce: publicly declare to be wrong or evil.
abominable: loathsome
tyrant: a cruel and oppressive ruler.
Explanation of the above passage—When famous authors like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Tom Paine in the eighteenth century, Cobbett, Shelley, Karl Marx, and Lassalle in the nineteenth, or Lenin and Trotsky in the twentieth criticize the deception in society, they are often labelled as atheists, immoral people, or criminals. Sometimes, their works are even banned. If their supporters start a revolution, England quickly declares war against them and gives money to other countries to help suppress the revolutionaries and restore the old order. After the alliance won at Waterloo, they celebrated this as a triumph for British freedom, even though the British working class, instead of mourning like Lord Byron, supported the victory enthusiastically. When a revolution succeeds, like the one in Russia in 1922, the fighting stops, but the insults, false accusations, and lies continue until the new government becomes a strong military power. Eventually, our diplomats, who spent years calling the revolutionary leaders brutal and tyrannical, have to change their tune and invite them to dinner.
Passage: Now, though this prodigious mass of humbug is meant to delude the enslaved masses only, it ends in deluding the master class much more completely. A gentleman whose mind has been formed at a preparatory school for the sons of gentlemen, followed by a public school and university course, is much more thoroughly taken in by the falsified history and dishonest political economy and the snobbery taught in these places than any worker can possibly be, because the gentleman’s education teaches him that he is a very fine fellow, superior to the common run of men whose duty it is to brush his clothes, carry his parcels, and earn his income for him, and as he thoroughly agrees with this view of himself, he honestly believes that the system which has placed him in such an agreeable situation and done such justice to his merits is the best of all possible systems, and that he should shed his blood, and yours, to the last drop in its defence. But the great mass of our rack-rented, underpaid, treated-as-inferiors, cast-off-on-the-dole workers cannot feel so sure about it as the gentleman. The facts are too harshly against it. In hard times, such as we are now passing through, their disgust and despair sometimes lead them to kick over the traces, upset everything, and they have to be rescued from mere gangsterism by some Napoleonic genius who has a fancy for being an emperor, and who has the courage and brains and energy to jump at the chance. But the slaves who give three cheers for the emperor might just as well have made a cross on a British or American ballot paper as far as their freedom is concerned.
Word meanings
prodigious: remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree.
humbug: deceptive
delude: mislead
cast-off-on-the-dole: those who were made satisfied by being unemployed and reliant on government assistance.
gangsterism: the behavior, methods, and activities characteristic of gangsters, encompassing the use of tactics like intimidation or violence to achieve goals, often associated with organized criminal groups.
ballot paper: a slip of paper used to register a vote.
Explanation of the above passage—This large amount of nonsense is meant to deceive working people, but it ends up fooling the upper class even more. A man who has gone through fancy schools and universities is more easily misled by distorted history and dishonest economics than any worker is. This is because his education teaches him that he is special and better than others, whose job it is to serve himself and earn his living. He believes that the system supporting his comfortable life is the best possible and that he should fight to defend it. However, many workers who are underpaid and treated poorly are not as sure. They see the harsh truths of their situation. During tough times, their frustration and despair may lead them to lash out, and they sometimes need a strong leader who wants power and has the vision and energy to take charge. But those workers cheering for a leader might as well have secretly voted in a British or American election, as far as their freedom is concerned.
Passage: So far I have mentioned nothing but plain natural and historical facts. I draw no conclusions, for that would lead me into controversy, and controversy would not be fair when you cannot answer me back. I am never controversial over the wireless. I do not even ask you to draw your own conclusions, for you might draw some very dangerous ones, unless you have the right sort of head for it. Always remember that though nobody likes to be called a slave, it does not follow that slavery is a bad thing. Great men, like Aristotle, have held that the law and order and government would be impossible unless the persons, the people have to obey are beautifully dressed and decorated, robed and uniformed, speaking with a special accent, travelling in first-class carriages or the most expensive cars, or on the best-groomed and best-bred horses, and never cleaning their own boots, not doing anything for themselves that can possibly be done by ringing a bell and ordering some common person to do it. And this means, of course, that they must be made very rich without any obligation other than to produce an impression of almost godlike superiority on the minds of common people. In short, it is contended, you must make men ignorant idolaters before they will become obedient workers and law-abiding citizens.
Word meanings
controversy: heated discussion
obligation: a debt of gratitude for a service or favour.
accent: a distinctive way of pronouncing a language, especially one associated with a particular country, area, or social class.
idolaters: a person who worships an idol or idols.
Explanation of the above passage—Shaw has shared only facts about nature and history so far. He won’t draw any conclusions because that could lead to arguments, and he thinks it’s unfair when people can’t respond. He avoids controversial topics in his communication. He doesn’t want the people to draw their own conclusions either, as they might come up with some risky ideas unless they have the right perspective. Keep in mind that while no one likes to be called a slave, that doesn’t necessarily mean slavery is bad. Notable figures like Aristotle said that law, order, and government would be impossible unless the leaders were well-dressed and appeared superior. They should travel in luxury vehicles not do their own chores, but rather have others do them. This means leaders need to be wealthy and create an image of greatness in the minds of ordinary people. In summary, the belief is that to be superior, one must make people uneducated and admire their leaders for them to be obedient workers and good citizens.
Passage: To prove this, we are reminded that, although nine out of ten voters are common workers, it is with the greatest difficulty that a few of them can be persuaded to vote for the members of their own class. When women were enfranchised and given the right to sit in Parliament, the first use they made of their votes was to defeat all the women candidates who stood for the freedom of the workers and had given them years of devoted and distinguished service. They elected only one woman—a titled lady of great wealth and exceptionally fascinating personality. Now this, it is said, is human nature, and you cannot change human nature. On the other hand, it is maintained that human nature is the easiest thing in the world to change if you catch it young enough, and that the idolatry of the slave class and the arrogance of the master class are themselves entirely artificial products of education and of a propaganda that plays upon our infants long before they have left their cradles. An opposite mentality could, it is argued, be produced by a contrary education and propaganda. You can turn the point over in your mind for yourself; do not let me prejudice you one way or the other.
Word meanings
enfranchised: given the right to vote.
fascinating: extremely interesting.
idolatry: extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone.
arrogance: self-importance
propaganda: information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.
prejudice: preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.
Explanation of the above passage—To prove this point, one could see that while most voters are ordinary workers, only a few can be convinced to vote for candidates from their own class. When women got the right to vote and enter Parliament, they mostly chose to defeat the women candidates who had dedicated years of service to fighting for workers’ rights. They only elected one woman, a wealthy lady with a captivating personality. Some say this behaviour is just human nature and cannot be changed. Others argue that human nature can be easily changed if they start early enough. They claim that the admiration for the wealthy and the pride of the elite come from education and propaganda that influence them from a young age. They believe that different education and messaging could create a different mindset. They can think about this for themselves; he won’t influence them on either side.
Passage: The practical question at the bottom of it all is how the income of the whole country can best be distributed from day to day. If the earth is cultivated agriculturally in vast farms with motor ploughs and chemical fertilisers, and industrially in huge electrified factories full of machinery that a girl can handle, the product may be so great that an equal distribution of it would provide enough to give the unskilled labourers as much as the managers and the men of the scientific staff. But do not forget, when you hear tales of modern machinery enabling one girl to produce as much as a thousand men could produce in the reign of good Queen Anne, that this marvelous increase includes things like needles and steel pins and matches, which we can neither eat nor drink nor wear. Very young children will eat needles and matches eagerly—but the diet is not a nourishing one. And though we can now cultivate the sky as well as the earth, by drawing nitrogen from it to increase and improve the quality of our grass and, consequently, of our cattle and milk and butter and eggs, Nature may have tricks up her sleeve to check us if the chemists exploit her too greedily.
Word meanings
at the bottom of it: to be the real reason for or the cause of something
plough: a large farming implement with one or more blades fixed in a frame, drawn over soil to turn it over and cut furrows in preparation for the planting of seeds.
drawing from: to obtain or take something from a particular source, like inspiration, knowledge, or resources.
Having tricks up your sleeve: to have secret plans, ideas, or advantages that you are keeping hidden and can use later when needed.
Explanation of the above passage— The key question is how to fairly distribute the country’s income every day. If one farm the land using large machinery and grow crops with chemical fertilizers, and if they produce goods in big factories with machines that even a girl can operate, they might create so much that everyone, including unskilled workers, could earn as much as managers and scientists. However, keep in mind that when one hears about new machines allowing one girl to produce what used to take a thousand men in the Queen Anne rule, this increase also includes items like needles, steel pins, and matches, which they cannot eat, drink, or wear. While very young children might be interested in eating these items, they are not nutritious. Although people can now use the air and earth to produce, nitrogen from the air could be used to improve crops and livestock, nature may have its own ways of responding if they overuse chemicals.
Passage: And now to sum up. Wipe out from your dreams of freedom the hope of being able to do as you please all the time. For at least twelve hours of your day Nature orders you to do certain things, and will kill you if you don’t do them. This leaves twelve hours for working; and here again Nature will kill you unless you either earn your living or get somebody else to earn it for you. If you live in a civilised country your freedom is restricted by the laws of the land enforced by the police, who oblige you to do this, and not to do that, and to pay rates and taxes. If you do not obey these laws the courts will imprison you, and, if you go too far, kill you. If the laws are reasonable and are impartially administered you have no reason to complain, because they increase your freedom by protecting you against assault, highway robbery, and disorder generally.
Word meanings
Wipe out: eliminate something completely.
enforced: caused by necessity or force; compulsory.
obliged: make (someone) legally or morally bound to do something.
administered: manage and be responsible for the running of (a business, organization, etc.).
assault: make a physical attack on.
Explanation of the above passage— To summarize, people have to eliminate from their visions of freedom the expectation that they can act however they wish at all times. For at least twelve hours each day, Nature requires them to fulfill certain obligations, and failure to do so could result in serious consequences. This leaves them with twelve hours for work; and once again, Nature will put their life at risk unless they earn their own living or find someone else to do it on their behalf. If they reside in a developed country, the laws of the land, enforced by law enforcement, restrict their freedom by demanding certain actions and prohibiting others, as well as requiring them to pay taxes and fees. Disobeying these laws can lead to imprisonment, and if they transgress significantly, it could cost them their life. If the laws are sensible and fairly enforced, they have no grounds for complaint, as they enhance their freedom by safeguarding them against violence, theft, and general chaos.
Passage: But as society is constituted at present, there is another far more intimate compulsion on you: that of your landlord and that of your employer. Your landlord may refuse to let you live on his estate if you go to chapel instead of to church, or if you vote for anyone but his nominee, or if you practise osteopathy, or if you open a shop. Your employer may dictate the cut, colour, and condition of your clothes, as well as your hours of work. He can turn you into the street at any moment to join the melancholy band of lost spirits called the Unemployed. In short, his power over you is far greater than that of any political dictator could possibly be. Your only remedy at present is the Trade Union weapon of the strike, which is only the old Oriental device of starving on your enemy’s doorstep until he does you justice. Now, as the police in this country will not allow you to starve at your employer’s doorstep, you must starve on your own—if you have one. The extreme form of the strike—the general strike of all workers at the same moment—is also the extreme form of human folly, as, if completely carried out, it would extinguish the human race in a week. And the workers would be the first to perish. The general strike is Trade Unionism gone mad. Sane Trade Unionism would never sanction more than one big strike at a time, with all the other trades working overtime to support it.
Word meanings
intimate: closely acquainted
chapel: a small building or room used for Christian worship in a school, prison, hospital, or large private house.
nominee: a person who has been officially suggested for a position, an honor, or election
osteopathy: a form of complementary medicine involving the treatment of medical disorders through the manipulation and massage of the skeleton and musculature.
melancholy: sad
Explanation of the above passage—However, in the current structure of society, there exists a much more personal pressure on them of their landlord and employer. Their landlord might deny them residence on their property if they attend chapel instead of church, or if they vote for someone other than their preferred candidate, or if they practice osteopathy (a way of detecting, treating and preventing health problems by moving, stretching and massaging a person’s muscles and joints), or if they decide to open a shop. The employer can determine the style, colour, and state of their clothing, along with their working hours. They can evict them at any moment, forcing them to join the sorrowful group known as the Unemployed. In essence, their control over them is significantly more extensive than that of any political tyrant could ever be. Currently, their only recourse is the Trade Union tactic of striking, which essentially involves the age-old strategy of starving on their employer’s threshold until they rectifies the situation. Since the police in the country will not permit them to starve at their employer’s door, they are left to do so on their own if they have such employer. The most extreme type of strike is the general strike where all workers stop at once is also the utmost display of human foolishness; if executed fully, it would eliminate humanity within a week. The workers would be the first to suffer. The general strike represents a form of Trade Unionism that has gone to extremes. Rational Trade Unionism would never endorse more than one significant strike at a time, with all other industries working overtime to provide support for it.
Passage: Now let us put the case in figures. If you have to work for twelve hours a day you have four hours a day to do what you like with, subject to the laws of the land, and your possession of money enough to buy an interesting book or pay for a seat at the pictures, or, on a half-holiday, at a football match, or whatever your fancy may be. But even here Nature will interfere a good deal, for, if your eight hours’ work has been of a hard physical kind, and when you get home you want to spend your four hours in reading my books to improve your mind, you will find yourself fast asleep in half a minute, and your mind will remain in its present benighted condition. I take it, then, that nine out of ten of us desire more freedom, and that this is why we listen to wireless talks about it. As long as we go on as we are—content with a vote and a dole—the only advice we can give one another is that of Shakespeare’s Iago: ‘Put money in thy purse.’ But as we get very little money into our purses on pay-day, and all the rest of the week other people are taking money out of it, Iago’s advice is not very practical. We must change our politics before we can get what we want; and meanwhile we must stop gassing about freedom, because the people of England in the lump don’t know what freedom is, never having had any. Always call freedom by its old English name of leisure, and keep clamouring for more leisure and more money to enjoy it in return for an honest share of work. And let us stop singing Rule, Britannia! until we make it true. Until we do, let us never vote for a parliamentary candidate who talks about our freedom and our love of liberty, for, whatever political name he may give himself, he is sure to be at bottom an Anarchist who wants to live on our labour without being taken up by the police for it as he deserves.
Word meanings
Benighted: in a state of pitiful or contemptible intellectual or moral ignorance.
fancy: feel a desire or liking for.
Lago: the villainous character in William Shakespeare’s play Othello, known for his manipulative and deceitful nature.
in the lump: considered or dealt with as a whole or in total, rather than individually or separately.
clamouring: shout loudly and insistently.
gassing: talk excessively about trivial matters
Rule, Britannia: British patriotic song
anarchist: a person who rebels against any authority, established order, or ruling power
Explanation of the above passage—Shaw looks at the situation with numbers. If people need to work for twelve hours a day, they only have four hours left for themselves, as long as they follow the law and have enough money to buy an intriguing book or pay for a movie ticket, or go on a half-holiday to see the football match, or whatever else they might enjoy. However, even in this scenario, nature will have a significant effect because if their eight hours of work have been physically demanding and they wish to use their free time to read Shaw’s books to enhance their knowledge, they might find themself falling asleep in an instant, leaving their mind in its uninformed state. Shaw assumes that the majority of people want greater freedom, which is why they tune in to broadcasts discussing it. As long as they maintain their current situation by being satisfied with just a vote and a handout, the best advice they can offer each other is that of Shakespeare’s Iago to make as much money as they could. But since they don’t accumulate much money in their purses on payday, and throughout the rest of the week, others are withdrawing from it, Iago’s suggestion isn’t very convenient. They need to change their political landscape before they can achieve their desires; in the meantime, they should refrain from endlessly talking about freedom because the average person in England has no real understanding of what freedom means, having never truly experienced it. Always refer to freedom by its traditional English term, leisure, and keep demanding more leisure and more money to enjoy it in exchange for a fair share of work. Additionally, Shaw stopped them from singing ‘Rule, Britannia!’ until they can make it a reality. Until that moment arrives, let’s not support any parliamentary candidate who speaks of their freedom and love for liberty, for regardless of what political label they adopt, they ultimately are likely an Anarchist who seeks to benefit from our labour without facing the consequences they rightly deserve.
Passage: And now suppose we at last win a lot more leisure and a lot more money than we are accustomed to. What are we going to do with them? I was taught in his childhood that Satan will find mischief still for idle hands to do. I have seen men come into a fortune and lose their happiness, their health, and finally their lives by it as certainly as if they had taken daily doses of rat poison instead of champagne and cigars. It is not at all easy to know what to do with leisure unless we have been brought up to it. I will, therefore, leave you with a conundrum to think over. If you had your choice, would you work for eight hours a day and retire with a full pension at forty-five, or would you rather work four hours a day and keep on working until you are seventy? Now don’t send the answer to me, please talk it over with your wife.
Word meanings
accustomed: be used to.
Satan: the chief spirit of evil and the adversary of God, often portrayed as a fallen angel who tempts humanity towards sin and opposes God’s will.
leisure: use of free time for enjoyment.
conundrum: a confusing and difficult problem or question.
Explanation of the above passage—And now suppose the workers at last win a lot more leisure and a lot more money than they were accustomed to. Shaw questions what they are going to do with them. He was taught in his childhood that people who have nothing to do are more likely to get into trouble or commit a crime. He has seen men come into a fortune and lose their happiness, their health, and finally their lives by it as certainly as if they had taken daily doses of rat poison instead of champagne and cigars. It is not at all easy to know what to do with leisure unless they have been brought up to it. He will, therefore, leave them with a difficult question to think over. If they had their choice, would they work for eight hours a day and retire with a full pension at forty-five, or would they rather work four hours a day and keep on working until they are seventy? He even told them not to send the answer to him and please talk it over with their own wives.
Understanding Freedom and Discipline by Jiddu Krishnamurti
Passage: The problem of discipline is really quite complex, because most of us think that through some form of discipline we shall eventually have freedom. Discipline is the cultivation of resistance, is it not? By resisting, by building a barrier within ourselves against something which we consider wrong, we think we shall be more capable of understanding and of being free to live fully; but that is not a fact, is it? Surely, it is only when there is freedom, real freedom to think, to discover—that you can find out anything. But freedom obviously cannot exist in a frame. And most of us live in a frame, in a world enclosed by ideas, do we not? For instance, you are told by your parents and your teachers what is right and what is wrong. You know what people say, what the priest says, what tradition says, and what you have learned in school. All this forms a kind of enclosure within which you live; and, living in that enclosure, you say you are free. Are you? Can a man ever be free as long as he lives in a prison?
Word meanings
enclosed: surrounded or closed off on all sides.
tradition: the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.
enclosure: an area that is surrounded by a barrier.
Explanation of the above passage—The issue of discipline is rather complicated because most people believe that some type of discipline will ultimately lead to freedom. Discipline involves building resistance. By pushing back and creating a barrier within themselves against what they perceive as wrong, they think they can understand better and have the freedom to live fully; but that isn’t true. Clearly, it is only in the presence of genuine freedom to think and explore that they can discover anything. However, freedom cannot exist within a framework. Almost everyone reside within a framework, in a world surrounded by ideas. For example, their parents and teachers instruct them on what is right and wrong. They are aware of others’ opinions, what the priest says, what traditions dictate, and what they learned in school. All this creates a sort of enclosure where they continue to exist; yet within that enclosure, they claim to be free. Krishnamurti questions whether they are truly free or a person ever be free while living in confinement.
Passage: So, one has to break down the prison walls of tradition. One has to experiment and discover on one’s own, and not merely follow somebody, however good, however noble and exciting that person may be, and however happy one may feel in his presence. What has significance is to be able to examine and not just accept all the values created by tradition, all the things that people have said are good, beneficial, worthwhile. The moment you accept, you begin to conform, to imitate; and conforming, imitating, following, can never make one free and happy. Our elders say that you must be disciplined. Discipline is imposed upon you by yourself, and by others from outside. But what is important is to be free to think, to inquire, so that you begin to find out for yourself. To think deeply, to go into things and discover for oneself what is true, is very difficult; it requires alert perception, constant inquiry, and most people have neither the inclination nor the energy for that. They say, ‘You know better than I do; you are my guru, my teacher, and I shall follow you.’
Word meanings
conform: comply with rules, standards, or laws.
imitate: take or follow as a model.
impose: force (an unwelcome decision or ruling) on someone.
perception: the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.
inclination: a person’s natural tendency or urge to act or feel in a particular way; a disposition.
Explanation of above passage—One must dismantle the barriers of tradition. It is essential to explore and learn independently rather than simply following someone else, no matter how admirable or inspiring that person might be, or how content one feels in their company. What truly matters is the ability to scrutinize rather than just accept the values established by tradition and what society deems as good, beneficial, or worthwhile. Once they accept, they start to conform and imitate; and conforming, imitating, and following can never lead to true freedom and happiness. Their elders tell them that they must be disciplined. Discipline is imposed both by themselves and by external influences. However, what is crucial is the freedom to think and question, allowing them to discover the truth on their own. To engage in deep thinking, to delve into matters, and to ascertain the truth for themselves is quite challenging; it demands keen awareness and ongoing questioning, and most people lack either the desire or the energy for this. They might say that one knows more than they do; they have their guide, mentor, and they will follow them.
Passage: So, it is very important that from the tenderest age you are free to find out, and are not enclosed by a wall of do’s and don’ts; for if you are constantly told what to do and what not to do, what will happen to your intelligence? You will be a thoughtless entity who just walks into some career, who is told by his parents whom to marry or not to marry; and that is obviously not the action of intelligence. You may pass your examinations and be very well off, you may have good clothes and plenty of jewels, you may have friends and prestige; but as long as you are bound by tradition, there can be no intelligence. Surely, intelligence comes into being only when you are free to question, free to think out and discover, so that your mind becomes very active, very alert and clear. Then you are a fully integrated individual—not a frightened entity who, not knowing what to do, inwardly feels one thing and outwardly conforms to something different.
Word meanings
tenderest age: a very young age, often implying a lack of experience
entity: a thing with distinct and independent existence.
prestige: widespread respect and admiration felt for someone or something on the basis of a perception of their achievements or quality.
frightened: afraid
conform: comply with rules, standards, or laws.
Explanation of the above passage—So, it is very important that from the tenderest age, people are free to find out and are not limited by a list of do’s and don’ts; for if they are constantly told what to do and what not to do, Krishnamurti wonders what would happen to their intelligence. They would be a thoughtless entity who just walks into some career, who is told by their parents whom to marry or not to marry; and that is obviously not the action of intelligence. They may pass thier examinations and be very well off, they may have good clothes and plenty of jewels, they may have friends and prestige; but as long as they are bound by tradition, there can be no intelligence. Surely, intelligence comes into being only when they are free to question, free to think out and discover, so that their mind becomes very active, alert and clear. Then they are a fully integrated individual, not a frightened entity who, not knowing what to do, inwardly feels one thing and outwardly conforms to something different.
Passage: Intelligence demands that you break away from tradition and live on your own; but you are enclosed by your parents’ ideas and by the traditions of society. So there is a conflict going on inwardly, is there not? You are all young, but I don’t think you are too young to be aware of this. So there is an inward struggle going on; and as long as you do not resolve that struggle you are going to be caught in conflict, in pain, in sorrow, everlastingly wanting to do something and being prevented from doing it. If you go into it very carefully you will see that discipline and freedom are contradictory, and that in seeking real freedom there is set going quite a different process which brings its own clarification so that you just do not do certain things. While you are young it is very important that you be free to find out, and be helped to find out, what you really want to do in life. If you don’t find out while you are young, you will never find out, you will never be free and happy individuals. The seed must be sown now, so that you begin now to take the initiative.
Word meanings
initiative: ability to assess and initiate things independently.
Explanation of the above passage—Intelligence requires them to break away from conventional norms and pursue their own path; however, they are constrained by their parents’ beliefs and societal traditions. This creates an internal conflict. Although they are all young, he believes they are not too young to recognize this. Thus, an inner turmoil exists; and as long as they fail to resolve this conflict, they will remain trapped in struggle, pain, and sorrow, always desiring to act yet being held back. If they examine it closely, they will realize that discipline and freedom are opposing concepts and that in the pursuit of genuine freedom, a different process begins that leads to their own clarity, consequently influencing their actions. During their youth, they must have the freedom to discover and receive guidance to uncover what they truly wish to pursue in life. If this discovery does not happen while they are young, they may never uncover it, and they will struggle to become a free and content individual. The groundwork must be laid now so that they can start taking initiative at this moment.
Passage: On the road you have often passed villagers carrying heavy loads, have you not? Those poor women with torn and dirty clothes, with insufficient food, working day after day for a pittance—do you have any feelings for them? Or are you so frightened, so concerned about yourself, about your examinations, about your looks, about your saris, that you never pay any attention to them? Do you feel you are much better than they, that you belong to a higher class and therefore need have no regard for them? Don’t you want to help them? No? That indicates how you are thinking. Are you so dulled by centuries of tradition, by what your fathers and mothers say, so conscious of belonging to a certain class, that you do not even look at the villagers? Are you actually so blinded that you do not know what is happening around you? It is fear—fear of what your parents will say, of what the teachers will say, fear of tradition, fear of life—that gradually destroys sensitivity, is it not? To be sensitive is to feel, to receive impressions, to have sympathy for those who are suffering, to have affection, to be aware of the things that are happening around you. When the temple bell is ringing, are you aware of it? Do you listen to the sound? Do you ever see the sunlight on the water? Are you aware of the poor people, the villagers who have been controlled, trodden down for centuries by exploiters? When you see a servant carrying a heavy carpet, do you give him a helping hand?
Word meanings
dulled: less intense
conscious: aware
trodden: walk in a specified way.
Explanation of the above passage—The poet questions the readers if on their journeys they have noticed villagers struggling with heavy burdens. Those unfortunate women, dressed in torn and dirty clothes, barely having enough to eat, working tirelessly each day for a very low wage. Krishnamurti questions if they feel any compassion for them or are they too preoccupied, too worried about themselves, their exams, their appearance, their saris, that they fail to notice them. Krishnamurti further questions whether they consider themselves to be much superior to them, feeling a sense of entitlement due to their social status, which leads them to disregard them or if they have the desire to assist them. That suggests a particular mindset.
He questions whether the continuous imposition of traditions and parental guidance has made them so aware of their social standing that they have become dull and lack intelligence to such an extent that they fail to notice the villagers or perhaps they have false notions which make them blind and unaware of what is happening around them. It is fear of their parents’ reactions, teachers’ judgments, tradition, or life itself—that gradually dulls their sensitivity. To be sensitive means to feel deeply, to absorb experiences, to empathize with those who are in pain, to express affection, and to be able to react to the events occurring around them. When the temple bell tolls, do they take notice and listen closely to its sound. If they ever observed the sunlight reflecting on the water. If they are aware of the impoverished individuals, the villagers who have been oppressed and marginalized for centuries by those in power.
Passage: All this implies sensitivity. But, you see, sensitivity is destroyed when one is disciplined, when one is fearful or concerned with oneself. To be concerned about one’s looks, about one’s saris, to think about oneself all the time— which most of us do in some form or other—is to be insensitive, for then the mind and heart are enclosed and one loses all appreciation of beauty. To be really free implies great sensitivity. There is no freedom if you are enclosed by self-interest or by various walls of discipline. As long as your life is a process of imitation there can be no sensitivity, no freedom. It is very important, while you are here, to sow the seed of freedom, which is to awaken intelligence; for with that intelligence you can tackle all the problems of life.
Word meanings
sensitivity: feelings liable to be offended or hurt; sensibilities.
enclosed: closed off
imitation: copy something or someone
awaken: rouse from sleep; cause to stop sleeping.
tackle: take care of
Explanation of the above passage—All of this suggests a need for sensitivity. However, sensitivity is compromised when one is strict with themselves, fearful, or overly self-involved. Constantly worrying about one’s appearance, such as one’s clothing, and focusing on oneself, which many people do to some extent, leads to insensitivity, as it confines the mind and heart and diminishes the ability to appreciate beauty. True freedom requires a deep sense of sensitivity. If they are trapped by self-interest or confined by strict rules, there is no true freedom. When their life revolves around imitation, sensitivity and freedom cannot coexist. It is crucial, while they are here, to plant the seed of freedom, which is to awaken their intelligence; with that intelligence, they can address all of life’s challenges.
Conclusion
The lesson titled ‘Freedom’ has two essays and in this post, students of class 12 English elective can get a summary and detailed explanation notes of both the essays. With the help of these notes, students can easily attempt the questions in the exam.